Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Word of the Lord which engages us this evening comes from our Old Testament lesson (Deuteronomy 8: 10-18). ����������������

The history of Thanksgiving goes way back. We obviously think back to the Pilgrims and American Indians in 1621, a harvest festival celebrating the fact that God had kept them alive in this new land despite many setbacks. This festival was celebrated many more times through our nation's colonial period, then again sporadically after the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. It was not until 1863, when our nation was in the midst of a great civil war that the day of Thanksgiving gained popularity as an annual holiday. It became a fixed holiday in the U.S., the 4th Thursday of November, in 1941, on the eve of America's entrance into WWII. ����������������

It is interesting that according to this brief history, national interest in Thanksgiving has increased when earthly struggles are prominent. Interest has waned in giving thanks when people are satisfied and living well. One would think the opposite would be true, but human nature as it is, even human nature among those who trust in the Triune God, doesn't always follow what should happen logically. ����������������

The Lord knows human nature, and instructs, warns his people of old through a final sermon by Moses, in our lesson from Deuteronomy. "10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day." Moses goes on to warn how human nature tends to forget God when we eat and are satisfied, when we have fine houses and enough money to live comfortably. Then it is easy to become proud and forget the Lord your God. It is easy to say to ourselves (v. 17) "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." God's people the Israelites were just finishing a 40 year trek through the wilderness, a trek in which they were totally dependent upon the Lord for their food and protection. They had been strengthened through those years with the anticipation of the good land promised by God. "But following the conquest, the good land itself would become a source of testing for the Israelites�. Prosperity could very easily lead to pride; to be proud was to think that prosperity had been achieved as a result of their own human achievement, and to think in this way was to forget the Lord your God." (Peter Craigie, NICOT Commentary on Deuteronomy, 1976). ����������������

We live in the most prosperous country of all time. Granted we can always hope that God will rain down even more blessings: more affordable health care, lower taxes, lower prices on food and energy and travel. Jesus instructs us ask Him for our daily bread in the Lord's Prayer. Luther teaches us that daily bread includes more than just food and drink, house and home, but also money, goods, family, good government, honor, friends, etc. We are to receive all those blessings with thanksgiving. God wishes to bless his children with good earthly things. But yet we must constantly watch that these "things" don't become our master, because we cannot serve two masters, God and money (Matthew 6: 24). ����������������

Paul had come to grips with his relationship between God and money. He wrote to the Philippians (4: 11-12): "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Paul knew Jesus' words "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Paul had not been seeking this kingdom by his own power. He had persecuted Jesus' church at first, but then the power of God struck him from his horse and he realized Christ was calling him from the slavery to sin that he was in (Romans 7: 14). Paul realized the glorious riches that are ours in Christ Jesus, riches and wealth that we could never earn on our own. Christ's death on the cross purchased for us eternal life in God's ultimate Promised Land. His resurrection assures us that He has the strength to overcome our most determined enemy, death itself. We can eat of the ultimate manna, the Bread of Life who is Jesus, and praise our Lord for what He has given to us. His Word constantly in our ears keeps us from forgetting the Lord our God and his wondrous love and grace shown to us through Jesus. The world will not understand our devotion and thankfulness to Him, but we who understand our need for a rescuer and the power of our rescuer Jesus will desire to live lives of thankfulness and love. ����������������

Annette went to a weekend seminar where participants were taught to express the love and affection they felt in their hearts. As she went through the various assignments and practiced saying "I love you," she began to let down some of the defenses she had built through fear of rejection. She began to overcome some of her shyness. She thought a lot about her family members and friends, whom she really did love. When she got home, she wrote letters to tell them how much she appreciated them and what they meant to her. She ended her letters with "I love you and always will." Annette's brothers and sisters were shocked and then frightened when they received the letters. They had never heard Annette talk this way, and they began to call each other � from Detroit, Tulsa, Chicago, Los Angeles. They speculated that something must be seriously wrong. No one in the family was ever openly appreciative, affirming, and loving. It just wasn't done. So they called the police in the city where Annette lived and urged them to check up on her, fearing that she might be contemplating suicide. What a world we live in when we have to explain to the police that we are perfectly all right when we tell someone "I appreciate you and love you." (modified from Bobbie Reed, Listening to the Heart. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1997, pp. 13-14). What a world we live in that forgets that the earthly blessings of this world come from its Creator. We rest assured that the Lord Jesus will never be surprised when we thank Him for what He has done. What a blessing we as Christians have to be able to remind each other and the world of the wonders of God's love found in Christ Jesus.

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4: 7)